Magic People, Voodoo People

Author Archive

Twitterberry 0 Ubertwitter 1

The current trend of so called Social networking at the moment is to be linked in constantly and able to provide such juicy details as (And I quote)

“going to eat a banana, read eclipse, and then go to sleep.” - http://www.twitter.com/frenchigirl

Now this may seem pointless to most people and indeed to myself but there is something incredibly addictive about spying on people’s activities and indeed allowing yourself to be spyed on.

So in order to keep up with this trend various clients have been released for the Blackberry and up until this morning I was attempting to us Twitterberry.  Now unfortuantely around about 2 weeks ago this decided that it was no longer going to download other people’s statuses leaving me tweetless for my journey home on the train.

So in response to this I removed the application and have installed Ubertwitter on my Blackberry 8820, which although is still only in Beta, seems to be a very tidy app.  This app also has support for location support, which works in the same way google maps finds your location on your mobile phone.

So now I can happily go back to watching the daily soap drama that is life from the discomfort of a First Great Western train.

And for those of you that are interested, here I am on Twitter http://twitter.com/Gary_Black


Happiness@Gunpoint have moved.

Now you may have noticed that Happiness@Gunpoint have been camping on Voodoo-People for some time, but they overstayed their welcome so I have kicked them out. :)

Happiness@Gunpoint

Happiness@Gunpoint

They now have their own place over at www.happinessatgunpoint.co.uk and soon their presence will be removed from our forums here and migrated to their very own space.  Be sure to update any bookmarks etc that you may have.


Lister has been and gone.

Sooooo the new Red Dwarf: Back to Earth…..

Perhaps I had built it up for myself too much, or perhaps I was younger when I watched the original series, or perhaps I missed the point entirely, but after watching the 3rd part on Sunday evening I can only say I was disappointed.

Each part of the episode just felt like an extended trailer for the most part and I was constantly waiting for it to get going, at which point the credits rolled.

All the ingredients were there, the original cast (Minus Holly/Hilly :( ) and a classic script parodying yet another popular film (Bladerunner), so where did it all go wrong?

1. Previous episodes were filmed in front of a studio audience, this unfortunately was not, most likely due to the amount of CGI that was used, lets face it the audience wouldn’t know what was going on.

2. Why is Rimmer a hologram again and where are the rest of the crew? Not that I was a big fan of when they were brought back in the first place.

3. Damn adverts, seriously this was a fatal flaw, the whole episode was too short as it was and Dave adding in their adverts seriously annoyed me.

4. CGI.  One of the things that I really enjoyed from the early episodes was how the whole thing was done on a small budget and how amazing a little creativity could pull off some amazing results.

Now I would love them to go and make another couple of series, but if this is a taster of what’s to come I don’t think I’d enjoy them particularly well.  So Doug if your listening go back to the basics of 3 men and an android struggling to survive in deep space with nothing to entertain them over than a couple of games of Junior Angler.


Razor Pineapple!

Just a quick heads up on a new band that’s going to be playing a venue near you ….. well never since its actually a fictional band in Rock Band 2.

Finally got round to buying a copy of Rock Band 2 over the weekend, so now my song catalogue (Since you can import the majority of the original game songs) is now in the hundreds, there are however many more song’s I’d like to download it would seem I’ve been caught hook,line and sinker.

To see the complete list of song’s available visit the Rock Band song library

Also be sure to check out Razor Pineapples website, to keep up with the latest news on the band :)

 

Unfortunately the bassist is MIA

Unfortunately the bassist is MIA


Pasties for the poor

If your like me and enjoy photography/art and upload to the internet to show family/friends/random people, no doubt you use or have at least heard of Deviant Art. One of the almost hidden feature’s of this site is the use of Pasties which allow you to show thumbnails of uploaded images on your website or blog.  

There is 1 downfall to this though, in order to be able to show images from your own gallery you must first be subscribed which for some people really isn’t an option.  Thankfully Chronosign has come up with another solution which personally I think works a little better (Although a little slower)

Deviant Art Pasties for the poor

Simply enter in your Deviant Art username and choose how many thumbnails to display and hit Get Code and it will generate the code for you to put into your HTML.

Here’s a selection from my Deviant Art account: monochrometear



Carron Media

Just a quick plug for a colleagues web design and development company Carron Media

So if you know anyone who requires a fantastic looking website built from scratch, or just an update to your current one, Carron Media will provide a beautifully designed website using current web technologies.

Also if you design websites yourself be sure to check out the blog for some interesting articles and tutorials, such as how to build an RSS stream using PHP and Mysql. 


Listers Coming Home

Unless your a no-style gimbo with teeth druids could use as a place of worship you must have heard by now that the legendary Red Dwarf is returning to our screens over the easter weekend for 4 whole episodes.

Red Dwarf

Red Dwarf

Now the PR machine has finally started up and we can get a glimpse into who, what, where, when and why.
Now kindly cluck off to listerscominghome.co.uk , before I extract your gibblets, and shove a large seasoned onion between the lips you never kiss with.


Happy Birthday Pam!

Yet another birthday this time its Pamela Perry (Bunce)

On this day in 1922 Egypt was granted independence by Great Britain, and yet another nuclear test as the US carries out its tests in the Nevada desert.

Hope you have a good birthday Pam!

 

Happy Birthday Pam!

Happy Birthday Pam!


Thundercats Movie

Ok this was too cool to miss.  As far as I know there isn’t actually going to be a movie but someone has cobbled together lots of different pieces of various movies to create this trailer, staring Brad Pitt(Lion-o), Vin Diesel(Panthro) and Hugh Jackman(Tygra).

Far too cool, check it out.

YouTube Preview Image

Happy Birthday DK!

Cast your mind back 27 years when Margaret Thatcher was prime minister, Ronald Reagan was keeping affairs in order in the white house, Russia was running its first nuclear tests and Dean Kaxe was brought into the world kicking and screaming!

So Happy Birthday Voodoo_Hawk and we forgive you for being a bit weird but it was to be expected when you were born when Kraftwerk and Depeche mode were high in the charts!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!


New Red Dwarf.

If you haven’t already heard the smegheads are back together and recording 4 new episodes of Red Dwarf to be aired on Dave on April 10th at 9pm.  Now I can only assume that you are all as excited as me.  

If your like me and like to keep up to date on these things check out Robert Llewellyn’s blog page Llewtube or check out his twitter page for his day to day ramblings.

 

If I discover any more interesting stuff I shall let you all know.


Major Site Overhaul!

You’ve probably noticed by now that the site has been up and down like a prostitutes knickers over the past couple of days.  I’m slowly working out all the kinks though and I hope you like the new layout. 

Let me know via the normal channels if you have any trouble accessing any parts of the site.


HALLOWEEN 2008

Change of Plan!!!! For Halloween we shall be hosting the Mad Hatters tea party! You are each required to become a character from Alice in Wonderland and bring with you and interesting Tea and Tea pot!

 

Dark Cheshire Cat

Dark Cheshire Cat

 

 

Please see the future events forum for details and to mark your character


Perrys Stag Party

As I sit here reflecting on the weekend past I’m realising I’m hurting in places its not possible to hurt, but there is a kind of poetry within the pain as each bruise and each ache manage to tell their own little story.

So it started off on the Friday with a mad rush to get everything ready and into the little Vauxhall Zafira we hired to get us down to the seaside resort commonly known as Newquay. So lets fast forward a little bit as that is obviously an incredibly boring story. We eventually came into Newquay and with no plans on where we going to sleep that night we saw a sign for 10 pin bowling, eventually after a u-turn or 2 we pulled into the “Hotel California” (It is a requirement that you sing this name out loud whilst reading this) which promised us some pin action.

So we set them up and knocked them down and after some debating (The heavens opened) we abandoned the idea of camping and decided we would instead stay in the “Hotel California” so Perry set about getting us a good room deal. After the initial conversation it was clear that they didn’t want us to have the room for anything less than £60pp but Perry stuck to his guns and said when they came to their senses come and see us in the bowling alley (There were 4 lanes and everything)

So we bowled some frames without incident (Except the miners of Mordor did stop at some point and wouldn’t give us our balls back) and eventually the young lass from reception did come and find us and offered us the rooms for £50pp so we set about getting ready for the evening ahead.

The evening started much as it normally does with the consumption of some food and generous amounts of beer, which saw us winning a couple of hats and sunglasses branded with a certain beers corporate image. Steve managed to hold onto his hat for all of an hour before it was stolen in a drive by mugging but my hat managed to stay with me for the entire weekend (Almost in one piece too)

So to sum up the rest of Friday evening, beer, beer, Halos, beer and finally bed. And thats how it should have stayed, but for some reason I found myself outside the hotel room desperate for a piss after having already gone to bed which confused me slightly but a quick phone call to Perry requesting that he lets me in soon sorted that little problem out.

Eventually it was Saturday and after a quick pit stop at the breakfast table of the hotel we were on our way to the first activity of the day… Paintballing! Which started off in a worrying fashion as they we’re suprised to see us and had no recollection of us booking the weekend. That aside we started getting suited up and split up into teams. The hat was still with me at this point and I took pride in sitting it upon my visored head. With everyone in their various camouflage it was impossible to tell who was who, except for maybe Paul who had a bright green boiler suit which would work to his disadvantage later! :D

 

The Stag Group

The Stag Group

 

 

The games went by as they normally do with little breaks in between so people could mock each over etc etc, but by far the most interesting highlight would be the fact that every game so one would find Paul and shout “THERE’S PAUL” which would cause everyone to open fire on him until finally there was a cheer when he finally got shot. Other hightlights include the game where 1 team had to hide and all that could be heard over the battlefield is the following conversation.

“PERRY IS THAT YOU?”

“yes..”

“DO YOU WANT A HUG?!”

“love you”

“LOVE YOU”

Now lets fast forward to the final game which is where most of my pain began. The reason for this was because the finally game was called “Hunt the Stag… and his best man” So after the initial countdown 14 guns opened fire on the 4 of us (There was another stag party with us) now in my infinite wisdom I decided I was gonna get as many of them as possible so I stood my ground thinking I could take the pain, but when everyone else had run off there was only really one target and it wasn’t long before the pain had become too much so I done what any self respecting man would have done. I ran away, losing my hat in the process, and as a hail of paintballs splattered on my back I had a rough idea what it would be like to be one of those middle eastern chaps who lay on the bed of nails but in this instance it was like a sumo wrestler had decided to belly flop on said middle eastern chap. Eventually my cowardice bought me to the end of the playing field where I met Perry huddled up behind a crate with not a single mark on him.

Bastard! So the paintballing out of the way we headed of to St Eval Go Karting track and after a short pause we were all racing around the track with tyres squealing. After the 2 15 mins sessions we consulted the print outs from the lap times and assigned trophys to 1st 2nd and 3rd places.

Then it was just a matter of getting back to the hotel and going out for some more beers, this went less than fanastically as we were all exhausted from the days activities. So through out the night the numbers slowly dropped until only 3 remained. Myself, Perry and Lee. Some how we managed to find the energy to carry on until we finally rolled up to the hotel at about 4.30 and then we proceeded to have an argument with little hitler who was just being plain awkward. The rest as they say is history, but as I sit here typing this with bruises all over my body from paintballs and car seats, my ribs and stomach hurt from laughing so much and with my legs in so much pain I’m thinking of having them removed I know 1 thing for sure.

I don’t think he’s gonna forget it in a hurry!


Pool Party!

Just thought I would update the website before I go and get some well deserved sleep!! Just finishing uploading all 279 photos that I took, no doubt most of them are pointless and crap judging by the state I was in but what the heck :)

 

Pool Party

Pool Party

 

 

For a sneak preview check out this link

http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o172/voodoo-people/Pool%20Party%20June%202008/


Maiden flight of the Phantom

How to begin this tale of comedy and tragedy… Well I guess I should start on friday when both Jimbob and Aeion bit the bullet and decided to take them out by themselves.

Obviously I wasn’t there but the story goes something like this. Jimbob in his infinite wisdom decides to trim the new aircraft on the ground and obviously managed to somehow snap the tail in 2 before he even flew it. So Aeion turns up with some sticky tape and glue and they both attempt to fly again, resulting in some more tail snappage.

Of course although I found this highly amusing it did indeed begin to make me panic. Despite all my bragging about how they were just crap at flying I was genuinely scared I was gonna ditch it the first time it went up *gulp*

 

So Saturday morning arrives and me and Carnage head for the common to get some flying time in whilst we wait for the others, after a quick trip to the shops to get a picnic. We setup our pit technician Pingu on a blanket ready to repair any damages that occur and then unpacked everything. Carnage was the first to go up as I was too much of a coward to go myself and with 1 swift motion we threw the plane into the air and……. it flew.

Carnage flew it round overhead a couple of times with no issues at all and then started lining up to land. This is where it got a little hairy for the first time as it went a little off course and ditched into the gravel pathway. UT OH! but hang on its up in the air again before landing yet again. Not the most graceful landing in the world but the main thing is it was intact (Although a fair distance away and a little scratched) So I guess it was my turn now, so I passed my plane to Carnage for him to launch it, and you can imagine I was quite disappointed when he just dropped it . So we tried again and it was up and flying. I didn’t try much just wanted to get used to the controls, then I bought it in to land with no problems. And so it continued until mine started banking hard to the left for some unknown reason and eventually ditched and snapped the tail :(

 

Hawk turned up and didn’t have much luck either stacking it on the second flight and snapping the tail, but Carnage just refused to crash…. Bastard! And soon enough he was going up and doing loops and rolls the cocky bastard! But then finally he tried a multiple loop and I can only assume he put too much stress on the wings as they snapped in the middle and he came plummeting down to the earth. Justice. :P


Awesometastic Day of Flying!

Ok for those of you reading in the forums you are probably aware that myself, Hawk and Aeion have recently purchased a new flying machine.

The Silverlit X-Twin 3D plane was purchased from Wonderland Models and is immense loads of fun. We were unable to really play the games that we had lined up due to the weight of the aircraft and the amount of wind outside.

The plane seemed to manage to give you some indication to control it but I cannot be sure as it seemed to go where the wind wanted more. There was some fun harmless collisions both with bushes, people, other planes and obviously the floor. I think the most amazing thing about these little critters is no matter how hard you decide to slam it into the floor, which incidentally happened a lot :) they just don’t break. (Apart from hawk’s which was mostly tape by the end of the day :P )

Unfortunatly the same cannot be said for the mustang which suffers quite badly when it impacts with the floor. The first successful launch lasted around 5 sec’s before getting hit by a gust of wind that sent it sideways snapping its wing. Now to most people they would have left it there and given up, but I decided what the hell lets stick the wing back together with sticky tape :) So after 10 mins with a roll of sticky tape she was ready to go again and before we knew it she was up in the air.

 

At this point the mustang would not stop banking to the left no matter how much I trimmed it and the flight whilst impressive didn’t last as long as I’d like and it came tumbling down in a free fall that I had no hope of pulling out of. I could just about see it smashing into pieces in the distance, on closer inspection the whole of the front end was soup :(

Again most people at this point would put it down to experience and leave it at that, but before you know it Pingu was back out with the sticky tape and rebuilding the front end and 15 mins later we were ready to fly again. She went up, and away, literally and I couldn’t turn the plane back towards me it was getting further and further away (And impressively higher) before the inevitable happened and once again she fell out of the sky. Needless to say there was going to be no field repair this time as the front end was pointing upwards like a helicopter.

So the whole thing needs to be repaired again so I can have yet more fun smashing it up again :D


Funny old photos!

Ok so I recently signed up to this ol’ facebook thingy, those of you that know me will know that I’m not generally a socialable person as it is so this may seem a little bizarre. Well it doesn’t really make much sense to me either.

What is really scarey though is the amount of people on there from my pass, not only people I went to Kennet School with, but people I went to Francis Baily with as well. There are a magnitude of old school photo’s being thrown around which I have started compiling into an “Embarrasing Photo” thread. So if you’ve come across across some embarrasing photos of yourself or others post em up, or give em to me to scan em in so we can all have a good giggle!!!

And to show that I’m not exempt here is one of me at Francis Baily, see if you can guess which one I am

 

Check out the rest of them here


Starwars: A New Hope Canteena remake!

I know 2 updates in 1 day I’m really spoiling you!!

Ok some of you may remember Jimbob’s birthday party which was Starwars themed and we had a little piss about when the cantina music came on. Well the hilarious remake of the canteena scene was videoed (Well 1 take was at least) and I have finally found it out and uploaded it.

I’m gonna post it on here but don’t forget to keep looking through the videos section as I’ll be adding more and more videos over the next few days. I think we should do this again but maybe this time Han can shoot first :)

http://s120.photobucket.com/albums/o172/voodoo-people/Misc/563391ba.flv

The rest of the videos are here